Dynamics of Fluorescent Dyes Attached to G‐Quadruplex DNA and their Effect on FRET Experiments

FRET spectroscopy is a promising approach for investigating the dynamics of G‐quadruplex DNA folds and improving the targeting of G‐quadruplexes by potential anticancer compounds. To better interpret such experiments, classical and replica‐exchange molecular dynamics simulations and fluorescence‐lifetime measurements are used to understand the behavior of a range of Cy3‐based dyes attached to the 3′ end of G‐quadruplex DNA. The simulations revealed that the dyes interact extensively with the G‐quadruplex. Identification of preferred dye positions relative to the G‐quadruplex in the simulations allows the impact of dye–DNA interactions on FRET results to be determined. All the dyes show significant deviations from the common approximation of being freely rotating and not interacting with the host, but one of the Cy3 dye analogues is slightly closer to this case.     

Sunlight‐Driven Formation and Dissociation of a Dynamic Mixed‐Valence Thallium(III)/Thallium(I) Porphyrin Complex

Inspired by a Newton’s cradle device and interested in the development of redox‐controllable bimetallic molecular switches, a mixed‐valence thallium(III)/thallium(I) bis‐strap porphyrin complex, with Tl^III bound out of the plane of the N core and Tl^I hung to a strap on the opposite side, was formed by the addition of TlOAc to the free base and exposure to indirect sunlight. In this process, oxygen photosensitization by the porphyrin allows the oxidation of Tl^I to Tl^III. The bimetallic complex is dynamic as the metals exchange their positions symmetrically to the porphyrin plane with Tl^III funneling through the macrocycle. Further exposure of the complex to direct sunlight leads to thallium dissociation and to total recovery of the free base. Hence, the porphyrin plays a key role at all stages of the cycle of the complex: It hosts two metal ions, and by absorbing light, it allows the formation and dissociation of Tl^III. These results constitute the basis for the further design of innovative light‐driven bimetallic molecular devices.     

Inverse colloidal crystal membranes for hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography

A collaborative study on the robustness and portability of a capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry method for peptide mapping was performed by an international team, consisting of 13 independent laboratories from academia and industry. All participants used the same batch of samples, reagents and coated capillaries to run their assays, whereas they utilized the capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry equipment available in their laboratories. The equipment used varied in model, type and instrument manufacturer. Furthermore, different types of sheath‐flow capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry interfaces were used. Migration time, peak height and peak area of ten representative target peptides of trypsin‐digested bovine serum albumin were determined by every laboratory on two consecutive days. The data were critically evaluated to identify outliers and final values for means, repeatability (precision within a laboratory) and reproducibility (precision between laboratories) were established. For relative migration time the repeatability was between 0.05 and 0.18% RSD and the reproducibility between 0.14 and 1.3% RSD. For relative peak area repeatability and reproducibility values obtained were 3–12 and 9–29% RSD, respectively. These results demonstrate that capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry is robust enough to allow a method transfer across multiple laboratories and should promote a more widespread use of peptide mapping and other capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry applications in biopharmaceutical analysis and related fields.     

Assessing the exchange coupling in binuclear lanthanide(iii) complexes and the slow relaxation of the magnetization in the antiferromagnetically coupled Dy2 derivative

We report here the synthesis and the investigation of the magnetic properties of a series of binuclear lanthanide complexes belonging to the metallacrown family. The isostructural complexes have a core structure with the general formula [Ga₄Ln₂(shi^3–)₄(Hshi^2–)₂(H₂shi^–)₂(C₅H₅N)₄(CH₃OH)_x(H₂O)_x]·xC₅H₅N·xCH₃OH·xH₂O (where H₃shi = salicylhydroxamic acid and Ln = Gd^III1; Tb^III2; Dy^III3; Er^III4; Y^III5; Y^III_0.9Dy^III_0.16). Apart from the Er-containing complex, all complexes exhibit an antiferromagnetic exchange coupling leading to a diamagnetic ground state. Magnetic studies, below 2 K, on a single crystal of 3 using a micro-squid array reveal an opening of the magnetic hysteresis cycle at zero field. The dynamic susceptibility studies of 3 and of the diluted DyY 6 complexes reveal the presence of two relaxation processes for 3 that are due to the excited ferromagnetic state and to the uncoupled Dy^III ions. The antiferromagnetic coupling in 3 was shown to be mainly due to an exchange mechanism, which accounts for about 2/3 of the energy gap between the antiferro- and the ferromagnetic states. The overlap integrals between the Natural Spin Orbitals (NSOs) of the mononuclear fragments, which are related to the magnitude of the antiferromagnetic exchange, are one order of magnitude larger for the Dy₂ than for the Er₂ complex.     

Biosynthetic insights provided by unusual sesterterpenes from the medicinal herb Aletris farinosa

A series of novel sesterterpenes (2–6) have been isolated from the roots of Aletris farinosa and structurally characterized by MS, NMR, and X-ray crystallography in conjunction with computational modeling. Their structures provide new insights into the mechanisms of sesterterpene biosynthesis. Specifically, we propose with support from density functional theory computations that the configuration at a single stereocenter determines the fate of a key tetracyclic carbocationic intermediate, derived from an oxidogeranylfarnesol precursor. Whereas one epimer of the carbocation undergoes H⁺ elimination to give 6, the other undergoes a spectacular cascade of seven 1,2-methyl and hydride migrations leading to the previously unreported carbon skeleton of 5. Theoretical calculations suggest that the cascade is triggered by substrate preorganization in the enzyme active site.     

A high performance system to study the influence of temperature in on-line solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis

A novel high performance system to control the temperature of the microcartridge in on-line solid phase extraction capillary electrophoresis (SPE–CE) is introduced. The mini-device consists in a thermostatic bath that fits inside of the cassette of any commercial CE instrument, while its temperature is controlled from an external circuit of liquid connecting three different water baths. The circuits are controlled from a switchboard connected to an array of electrovalves that allow to rapidly alternate the water circulation through the mini-thermostatic-bath between temperatures from 5 to 90 °C. The combination of the mini-device and the forced-air thermostatization system of the commercial CE instrument allows to optimize independently the temperature of the sample loading, the clean-up, the analyte elution and the electrophoretic separation steps.     

Oxidation and β‐Alkylation of Alcohols Catalysed by Iridium(I) Complexes with Functionalised N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

The borrowing hydrogen methodology allows for the use of alcohols as alkylating agents for C?C bond forming processes offering significant environmental benefits over traditional approaches. Iridium(I)‐cyclooctadiene complexes having a NHC ligand with a O‐ or N‐functionalised wingtip efficiently catalysed the oxidation and β‐alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols in the presence of a base. The cationic complex [Ir(NCCH₃)(cod)(MeIm(2‐ methoxybenzyl))][BF₄] (cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene, MeIm=1‐methylimidazolyl) having a rigid O‐functionalised wingtip, shows the best catalyst performance in the dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol in acetone, with an initial turnover frequency (TOF₀) of 1283 h^?1, and also in the β‐alkylation of 2‐propanol with butan‐1‐ol, which gives a conversion of 94 % in 10 h with a selectivity of 99 % for heptan‐2‐ol. We have investigated the full reaction mechanism including the dehydrogenation, the cross‐aldol condensation and the hydrogenation step by DFT calculations. Interestingly, these studies revealed the participation of the iridium catalyst in the key step leading to the formation of the new C?C bond that involves the reaction of an O‐bound enolate generated in the basic medium with the electrophilic aldehyde.     

A Bistable Microelectromechanical System Actuated by Spin-Crossover Molecules

We report on a bistable MEMS device actuated by spin-crossover molecules. The device consists of a freestanding silicon microcantilever with an integrated piezoresistive detection system, which was coated with a 140 nm thick film of the [Fe(HB(tz)₃)₂] (tz=1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) molecular spin-crossover complex. Switching from the low-spin to the high-spin state of the ferrous ions at 338 K led to a reversible upward bending of the cantilever in agreement with the change in the lattice parameters of the complex. The strong mechanical coupling was also evidenced by the decrease of approximately 66 Hz in the resonance frequency in the high-spin state as well as by the drop in the quality factor around the spin transition.     

Volatile Organic Compounds Analysis in Breath Air in Healthy Volunteers and Patients Suffering Epidermoid Laryngeal Carcinomas

Exhaled breath contains thousands of gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may be used as non-invasive markers of head and neck epidermoid cancer. We hypothesized that solid phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry can discriminate patients with epidermoid head and neck cancer from healthy controls by analyzing the gaseous volatile organic compounds, VOC-profile, in exhaled breath, thus identifying some non-invasive biomarkers to be used in early detection. Twenty healthy subjects participated in a cross-sectional study plus 11 patients with epidermoid supraglottic laryngeal cancer. VOCs from T3 supraglottic cancer were clustered distinctly from those of T1 and healthy subjects. Up to seven VOCs were detected differently from healthy volunteers, mainly 2-butanone and ethanol. Thus VOC-patterns of exhaled breath may discriminate patients with epidermoid head and neck cancer from healthy controls.